As long as the rhizome is above the substrate, the plant will be OK. I have a dozen A. nana petites - some are on driftwood and some are in the substrate - they all do fine. If you do bury the rhizome, the plant will die a very slow death, up to a month or so before you'll start to notice it. I used to bury Java fern rhizomes when I first started in the hobby over 20 yrs ago since I didn't know any better. Took a while to notice that the ones with exposed rhizomes were doing better than others in the tank.
what's the rhizome?
- Thread starter montanafish gal
- Start date
I have to assume then that I have unknowingly had the rhizome above the substrate, since I've had the plant for 4 months and it's still alive and looks fine. It just hasn't hardly grown at all. Right now it's in my 5 gallon betta tank with 3 wpg of light. I probably need to dose some excel. I do it about once a week with water changes, but should do it more probably.
3 wpg is a little high for Java ferns. IME they have always grown better w/lower light. I have a little more than 2wpg in my tank and I put floating Riccia right over the spot where I have my Java ferns to shade them. Way back when, I had a 75G full of them and that tank had only a stock fluorescent hood. Always adjust the lighting first, then CO2, then fertz.
it is a very slow grower....i have had 4.5 wpg over my tank and they still grow slow...
my java ferns grows fast in my tank...faster than my anubias in my 4.5wpg tank...
